Chairman Ezinano, Comrade Ochije
The capital projects that would have raised the profile of the Anambra State capital have been discarded, reports NWANOSIKE ONU
Is Awka really the unloved capital of Anambra State? It is the seat of power, but what else does it have befitting a capital city? Some say pretty little. It has no stadium, not even a miniature one.
Former governor Peter Obi completed Zik Avenue initiated by his predecessor Chris Ngige, but both
failed to solve the city's drainage problems. Obi in his last years in office built roads which linked up some Awka villages and was applauded for that.
He then promised to build a mini-stadium and even mobilised a contractor, Paul-B Construction, to handle the project. Obi also demolished some structures to connect Ezeudu Street from Zik Avenue to the expressway, handing it over to the same Paul-B.
The Nation gathered that he paid the contracting firm over 80 per cent mobilisation fee.
Another contract initiated by Obi that has been abandoned is the Shoprite at Agu-Awka, where former Ikenga Hotels built by former governor of Old Anambra State Chief Jim Nwobodo was sited. While the Shoprite complex at Onitsha is still ongoing, work has stopped at the Awka site for almost a year.
Even the three flyovers being constructed by the Willie Obiano administration are now at a standstill.
When Chief Obiano took office, he promised the Awka community that he would give the city a befitting outlook, something that previous administrations could not do. It was then he told the people that the three flyovers would cost N5b to build. The project was flagged off on June 24, 2014 with a one-year completion time.
The chairman of 20 villages out of 33 in Awka, Comrade Obi Ochije said the community is suffering from the disunity in its ranks, urging the town union leadership to rally the people. But he also said Governor Obiano has veered off from his plan.
He said, "Obiano has derailed from his vision he had for the community and that has led to the abandonment of the projects in this community. This community did not fight for the capital city when others were struggling to get it, but Babangida used his wisdom to offer it to Awka on a platter of gold and it is a shame that something like this is happening in the state.
"Awka community voted for Obiano and not Peter Obi during the elections, realising the long-standing [relationship] between us and his Aguleri community."
Ochije, a human rights activist and coordinator, Transform Nigeria movement (TNM), appealed to the governor not to abandon the projects as others did.
The chairman of Paul-B construction firm, Paul Eridom blamed the rains for the stoppage of work, adding that the projects would restart as the downpours subsided.
The governor's Senior Special Assistant on Media James Eze denied the abandonment charge.
He said, "The projects are not abandoned anywhere in the state…they are temporarily stopped as a result of the rains because you cannot build strong roads under such conditions. As soon as the rains are over, the people will definitely see the working Willie again in action despite the hard-biting economic crunch all over the country."
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